History of Dover

A destructive fire, disastrous in its effects, broke out at a little after midnight on Tuesday morning in a stable in a chalk pit alongside the London, Chatham and Dover Railway in Tower Hamlets Road.

In this chalk pit, which is approached by an arch on the side of Mr. F. G. Nower's boot shop, there is Mr. E. Ayers forge. Occupying the further end and on the upper side there is a long low stable supported by brick, stone, and wood wall in front, with a tarred top resting at the back against a bank. Altogether the stable is about 15 yards long, and in it at the end next to Tower Hamlets Road there were three horses belonging to Mr. F. Chatwin, carrier, each in separate stalls.  Next to the third stall from the end was a larger compartment where there was some straw, a milk cart belonging to Mr. Woodland of Edred Dairy, another cart, a chaff cutter, and a bicycle.  Then came two empty stalls and at the further stall next the shoeing forge was a pony belonging to Mr. Woodland. 

There were also in the stable four fowls, a cat, and a spaniel dog and not one of the living things escaped, and the carts, chaff cutter, and a bicycle are destroyed. This is more remarkable owing to the fact that the outer structure itself is not much injured. As far as we can learn it was Mrs. Back who lives at No 9 Tower Hamlets Road who first saw the fire soon after midnight.  She called Mr. Nower's who immediately gave information to the police.

Very promptly the Fire Brigade was on the spot with two hose reels,  one from the Police Station, and one from the Queen Street Fire Station. Mr Superintendent Sanders, fourteen policemen, and Mr. Chatman (jnr.) forming the brigade.  Mr. Ewell the turn-cock who was called at the same time concentrated the full pressure of water on the district, he being informed that it was the laundry that was on fire.  A good supply of water was secured as soon as the hydrants were fixed and in an incredibly short space of time the fire that was all aglow inside the stable was knocked out at five minutes past one and was entirely extinguished.

When the police arrived it was impossible owing to the smoke to see what was inside, and for some time after the smoking embers prevented any search but subsequently it was found that the four horses were dead and also the cat, the dog, and the fowls
The sight at daybreak was pitiful.  At the lower end the three animals lay on their sides in their stalls feet and faces towards where the fire had been.  The two furthest from the fire showed little mark of burning and had apparently died of suffocation but the third had evidently suffered much its eyeballs being cracked.  The milkman’s pony at the other end was not burnt at all and undoubtedly was suffocated.  The fowls that had apparently been roosting just over where the fire broke out were thoroughly roasted and all their feathers were gone.  The cat lay dead under the charred remains of the milkman’s cart, and the spaniel was dead at the upper end near the pony.  The creatures must have suffered sharply but happily not for long.
The three horses were very good roadsters in fair condition being worth no doubt £30 each.  The loss to Chadwin is very serious he being a young man just started in business.  They were the whole of his livestock.  The pony and light cart were the sole means, we understand, by which Mr Woodland carried on his dairy business and the loss is great to him.  There was nothing insured. As to how the fire originated there seems no satisfactory information.  All seemed safe when the stableman left at nine o’clock on Monday evening. There was a quantity of lime close by the stable door outside immediately adjoining where the fire appeared to have started outside, and it has been said that the spontaneous combustion of this lime set on fire the straw inside, but that does not seem probable.  The smithy is a considerable distance away and the fire being out at night the ignition could not have been from there.  Evidently the fire began in the straw in the large space in the centre of the stable as from there the flames seem to have spread each way.  It is more probable that the origin will never be traced.
January 1894.